Method of and means for making tubes of celluloid and the like



Nov. 15, 1932. s, A, NE|D. H 1,888,045

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING TUBES OF CELLULOID AND THE LIKE ori inal Filed March 13, 1929 HGE Patented Nov. 15, 1932 UNITED STA-TES PATENT I samunr. A.VNEID1IOH, or E'DGEWATER PARK, NEW JERSEY- ncn'rnon or Ann MEANS FOR MAKING BES or GELLULOIDLAND 'rnnmxza J Application filed March 18, 1929, Serial 110,848,789. Renewed my" 30,1932.

My invention may be employed with par- Q tieular advantage in the manufacture of tubes for fountainpens and similar writing implements, from cellulose products such as celluloid, cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, or any suitable substance, by rolling thin sheets of such material, in evolute form, with the convolutions thereof in contact with each other, while moistened with a suitable sol" vent. Forinstance, acetone is a suitable solvent for celluloid and'cellulose nitrate, and ethyl acetate, or a mixture of alcohol and ether, are suitable solvents for cellulose acetate.

Such sheets are made by shaving solid molded blocks of such materials, and the commercial sheets vary in thickness from the standardnominal size thereof. For instance, sheets which are supposed to be .010 of an inch thick vary from .009 of an inch to .011 of an inch. Consequently, in the manufacture of-tubes, itis necessary to cut the sheets, for rolling, long enough to form the desired thickness of the tube if the material be of the abnormal minimum thickness aforesaid and if the sheetbe of the proper thickness or in excess thereof, as above contemplated, the resultant tube is thicker than required and must be reduced in-size.

Therefore, it is the purposeand effect of my invention to-provide means for reducing the rolled tubes to a predetermined size and shape by wiping the surplus material, with'a blade-like gauge element, during-the wind- 5 ing of the last convolution upon the tube. Suchwipingmay merely spread the material of the tube, to change the shape'of the latter, or scrape off the surplus material. Y

As hereinafter described, the gauge element may not only be adjusted to predetermine the diameter of the cylindrical tube required, but may be so shaped as to form other configurations; for instance, the ends of fountain pen bodies opposite to that in which the pen point is inserted are'made conical to readily detachably fit a removable cap for thepoint, and my'p rese nt invention is adapted toproduce such conical configuration contemporaneously with the reduction of, the

rolled tube to the proper diameter.

veniently by screws 14, upon. theswing frame My invention includes the various novel features of procedure and apparatus hereinafter more definitely specified. In said drawing; Fig; I is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view ofamachine'for forming tubes byyrollinga pri; marily plane sheet of'cellulose product. Fig. II'is a sectional view similar to Fig.1 but showing a modified form of :tube scrap in means; M a

Fig. III is a vertical transverse sectional view of another modified form of machine, including 1 means" for measuring. successive charges of solventfor introduction to the sol.- vent container in which the tube is rolled.

Fig. IV- is a perspective View of a sheet of the.materialaforesaid adapted fortemporary engagement in any of said machines.

I Fig. V is a perspective view of the scraper blade and its adjusted means indicated in Fig. III. e I 1 Fig. VI is a sideelevation'of'ajmandrel carrying a tube in cooperativerel-ation' with 'a blade whichis ofsuch'configuration asto I reduce one end of the tube to'Tconical form, v while reducing the other portion. of the tube to a cylindrical form and predetermined diameter.. I I i In said figures; a suitable sheet of material 1 .isEattached at its lower end upon a mandrel 2 which is conveniently'flatt'ened at' its. end 3 for engagement in a head stock 5 provided: with a manually operative crank handle .6 or any other means by whichit may be rotated.-' The oppositeendSbfsaid man- ;drel-isdetachably fitted'in a tail sto'ck9, in axial alinement with said'head stock. One of said stocks maybe axially adjustable and spring pressed toward the other, so that'the operator. may move one of said stocks to insert and remove a succession of mandrels provided with sheets as in Fig. IV.' 11

Referring to the form of my invention shown in Fig. 1; the solvent bath 10 is held in the container 11, conveniently a; rectangular box of Monel metal in the opposite side walls of which said stocks 5 and'9 are journaled. The gauge element 13,whichmay be I a scraping blade, is detachably secured. con-v cured in adjusted tion by the nut 24. Such construction and arrangement permit the blade13 to yield, and

swing radially outward from the axis of rotation of the tube 20, during the operation of removing the surplus material from the tube. However, in some cases,I prefer to have the position of the blade positively maintained during such operation of determining the size of the tube. For instance, in

Fig. II, the gauge element 26 is detachably secured, conveniently by screws 27, upon the swing frame 28 which is hung upon the shaft 29 extending parallel with the axis of the mandrel 2 and adapted to be adjusted by the screw 31 which is in threaded engagement with the side wall of the container 32 for the solvent and secured in adjusted position by thenut 34 and the lock'washer 35.v

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. III, the container 35 for the solvent 36 has the stationary cross bar 37 supporting the gauge element 38 by a pair of bolts 39 which extend thru respective slots 40 in said blade and are clamped by nuts 41'. As indicated in Fig. V; said slots 40 are inclined with respect to the edge of the blade 38 so that when said nuts 41 are loosened, said blade may be adjusted toward and away from the axis of the mandrel 2 by moving it in respectively opposite directions. Such movement is conveniently efi'ected by adjusting a pair of screws 43 which are mounted in screw threaded engagement with the opposite end walls ofsaid container 35. Said blade is seposition by tightening the Wing nuts 41.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. III; the'container 35 has the outlet conduit 45thru which the solvent 35, which is surchargedwith material dissolved from the sheets 1, may be discharged under control of the valve 46. The level of the solvent 36 in said container 35 is determined by the location of the overflow port 47 which communicates with the conduit 48 leading to said discharge conduit 45, beyond said valve 46. The solvent 36 may be supplied to said container 35 in successive charges, each of a measured quantity, by the means shown in Fig. III, including themeasuring receiver 49v which is' conveniently provided with the sight gauge 50 and to which the liquid solvent 36 is supplied thru the conduit 51 under control of the valve 52. The rotary valve 53 has the passage 54 which, in the position shown, connects said conduit 51 with the conduit 55 leading into the bottom of the receiver 49 so that the latter may be charged with any desired quantity of said solvent 36. Thereupon, the valve 52 is closed and the valve.53 turnedcontra-clockwise, thru an angle of 90, to cause said passageway 54 to establish communication between the conduit 55 and the conduit 56, leading into the container35. When thus turned; the measured quantity ofthe solvent is discharged from the receiver 49 into the container 35 and may be sufiicient to fillthe latter to, the level indicated in Fig. III, or otherwise.

For instance, with thevalve- 53 in the position shown in Fig. III, the valve 46 may be opened toeither entirely discharge or partially discharge the solvent 36 from the container 35 and, when the valve 46 is closed, the valve 53 may be turned to discharge the measured'quantity of the solvent from the receptacle 49 into the container 35 to either entirely or-partly refill the latter.

As indicated in Fig. VI; the gauge element 57 has its edge 58 so shaped as to reduce to conical form the end portion 60 of the tube 61 while the latter is mounted on a mandrel 2, in such mechanism as shown in Figs. I or II. As above explained, that form of tube 60 is adapted for making bodies of fountain pens.

Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of procedure and apparatus above described,.as it is obvious that various modifications maybe made therein without departing from the essential-features of my inventionfas defined in the ap pended claims. r

I claim: U

' 1. Means for forming tubes of celluloid and the like, including a mandrel holder for such material, and means adapted to roll a sheet of such material on said 'mandrel holder; a gaugemember mounted substantially parallel with the axis of said holder; and means adapted toadjustably determine the position of said gauge member with respect to said axis; whereby said gauge memher is adapted to deform the outer surface of said tube; including a screw adapted to shift the position of said gauge by its rotation. I i:

2. Means for forming tubes of celluloid and the like,'including a mandrel holder; for such material, and means adapted to roll a sheet of such material on said mandrel holder; a gauge member mounted substantially parallel with the axis of said holder;

and means adapted to adjustably determine the position of said gauge member with respect to' said axis; whereby said gauge memher, is adapted to deform the outersurface of said tube; including a slot in said gauge member, inclined" with respect to the axis of said mandrel holder; gauge supporting means extending through said slot; and two screws, respectively at opposite ends of said gauge member and adapted to shiftthe position of said gauge by their relative rota- 5 tion.

3. Means for forming tubes of celluloid and the like, including a mandrel holder for such material, and means adapted to roll a sheet of such material on said mandrel holder; a gauge member mounted substantially parallel with the axis of said holder; and means adapted to adjustably determine the position of said gauge member with respect to said axis; whereby said gauge member is adapted to deform the outer surface of said tube; including a pair of parallel slots in the gauge member inclined with respect to the axis of the mandrel holder, and supporting means for said gauge member including a stationary bar, clamping bolts projecting from said bar through said slots, and nuts adjustable on said bolts to clamp said gauge member in rigid relation with said bar. 4. A method of forming a tube of celluloid and the like to a predetermined size and form by rotating it in a liquid solvent of the material thereof while deforming the outer surface of said tube by the wiping scraping action of a gauge element maintained in predetermined radial relation to the axis of rotation of said tube.

In testimony whereof, I have. hereunto signed my name at Burlington, New Jersey, 35 this 31st day of January, 1929. V

. SAMUEL A. NEIDICH. 

